


Tea Time

by TsingaDark



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Charles is a Professor, Charles is also the owner of a book shop, Charles really likes his tea okay, Fluff and Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 19:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6485419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TsingaDark/pseuds/TsingaDark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Everything started with Emma’s ridiculously long birthday list...</em>
</p>
<p>In which Charles is a book shop owner and Erik is forced to visit said book shop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tea Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shamrock_girl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shamrock_girl/gifts).
  * A translation of [Tea Time](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/188071) by TsingaDark. 



> This story was a birthday present for my best friend.

Everything started with Emma’s ridiculously long birthday list on which most things were as expensive as Erik’s monthly income. Nevertheless, Erik knew that he wouldn’t get out of buying something from said list. He had made that mistake only once before.

And because the ‘cheapest’ item – or maybe affordable was a better word – was some antique book that Erik had never heard of before, he was stood outside of an old looking book shop.

A sign at the front door announced ‘Everything the heart desires can be found here’ and Erik could only shake his head. What did he get himself into?

As soon as he stepped into the shop the smell of old books hit him. He felt set back into his childhood when he’d visited the local library with his father.

“Welcome.” a soft and for Erik’s mood a bit to good-humoured voice sounded from the left.

He turned around and saw a wooden counter that had once seen better days – probably in the 1950s. It was only recognizable as a counter because of the cash register as the rest of it was covered in books and paper.

Behind the counter stood a man who was smiling at him as if Erik was the best thing that had happened to him today. Actually, he probably was, Erik thought grimly. Who the hell liked to go into a shop like this?

Even though Erik estimated the man about his age, he wore clothes that maybe Erik’s granddad would’ve worn. Especially the brown cardigan made him look like a professor.

“The new books are in room B, everything else is also sorted alphabetically by the author’s names. If you have any questions at all, please let me know.” The man suddenly startled Erik out of his thoughts. Erik realized he was still standing at the entrance.

“Thanks.”, he replied irritated and started to walk into the inside of the shop. Initially he had wanted to ask for the book but after seeing the exaggeratedly polite and happy look on the other man’s face – Erik decided to call him Professor due to his choice of clothes – he had changed his mind. Exaggerated niceness was the last thing that he needed.

From the main room, which wasn’t very big and only housed A to C, excited a short corridor. On the right side there was room B, opposite Erik a room only for employees and to the left a big room with the rest of the books.

As Erik stepped into the room he pulled the piece of paper with the name of the author and the book title out of his pocket. He resorted to the right section and examined the book spines. After only two minutes he had found a book of the author. Unfortunately not the right one.

After another ten minutes in which Erik had read every book title _again_ , he eventually swore and gave up. Either this book shop didn’t have it or someone else had put it back in the wrong place. Erik realized that he was forced to ask the Professor.

Sighing he entered the main room again. He could only just see that the unknown man was bent over behind the counter before everything went wrong.

Abruptly he straightened up. He held a tin in his hand whose content Erik could not see. Apparently though, whatever was inside did not comply with the Professor’s wishes as he was uttering Oh my God’s that were getting louder and louder.

“This cannot be!” Said the Professor. His voice resonated despair.

Erik knew internally that what was about to happen next could not be anything good. Still, he couldn’t get himself to move.

Only now the professor seemed to become aware of Erik. For a few seconds the two of them stared at each other until the unknown man’s look changed from despair to determination. Erik couldn’t have dreamed up in his wildest dreams what happened next.

The Professor approached him. “I have to get out to buy new tea. Since you’ve spent a few minutes in the shop already and haven’t tried to steal anything, I’m going to give you the keys until I’m back. It shouldn’t take long.” the words rushed out of him. He pressed a bunch of keys into Erik’s hands and before Erik could say anything the man was already gone.

A few seconds went by without anything happening. Then Erik slowly breathed out. What the hell had happened just then?!

When he thought back to what had just occurred, he finally realized that the professor had actually entrusted him with his shop. He had entrusted his shop to an unknown man who could take advantage of the situation and rob all of the money from the cash register. And all that because of some tea? Erik must’ve misheard him.

He went over to the counter on which the abandoned tin was laying that the Professor – or maybe Erik should rather call him madman – had held in his hand just a few seconds ago. It was empty but when Erik closed it he could read the words “Emergency stash of tea” on top.

Suddenly Erik was laughing. It was so unexpected that he even surprised himself. Was the craziness infectious?

This whole situation was so surreal that Erik almost decided to put the keys down on the counter and simply walk away. He couldn’t do that though. A voice in his head which suspiciously sounded a lot like Emma’s reminded him of his manners that he hopefully hadn’t forsaken fully.

Thus he stayed where he was. To pass the time he took a closer look of the sheets of paper that were laying in front of him on the counter. They were exam papers. Erik could hardly read the red handwriting that had to belong to the shop owner. He really was some sort of teacher then.

Was the book shop only a hobby or was he temporarily employed? Erik couldn’t really imagine the latter. Surely the Professor wouldn’t entrust the shop to someone unknown while he was off buying tea if it didn’t actually belong to him.

After Erik had looked at the pages for some minutes and had also looked through the mostly empty drawers and the Professor still hadn’t come back, there was nothing left to do but wait. Erik stood next to the counter, his hands buried in his pockets, and got more and more impatient by the minute.

Who did this guy think he was, leaving Erik on his own without even asking beforehand? After all, Erik had better things to do than stand around here. In the meantime he could’ve been able to find the book for Emma, why he had gotten into this mess in the first place, in another book shop.

Erik was on the verge of storming off – he had already put the keys on the counter – when the Professor walked in. He seemed entirely calm and was wearing a smile on his lips.

By now Erik felt so irritated that he didn’t even want to ask for the book anymore. He was just glad if he could escape from this clearly crazy man. But before he could move, the Professor was in front of him.

“Thank you so much for keeping an eye on the shop.” He said and smiled, if it was even physically possible, even more.

He looked Erik, who felt very uncomfortable, up and down and the look on his face changed from friendly and open to interested and determined.

“No problem.” Erik growled. He didn’t want to be in this madman’s presence any second longer. He gestured toward the counter where the keys were still laying to show that he hadn’t secretly pocketed them and turned around to leave.

“Didn’t you want to ask for the book?” He suddenly heard the voice of the other man behind him and jerked to a stop.

“I’m sorry?” Erik turned around and stared at the Professor.

How the hell could he have known that? Could he read other people’s minds?!

“Don’t worry, I can’t read minds.” To Erik it certainly felt like he could!

“I only noticed the slip of paper that’s peeking out of your pocket on which I could make out the words ‘The deserted land’. The Professor continued without noticing Erik’s inner turmoil.

“I’m pretty sure I saw that book just last week and that I haven’t sold it since.” With those words the shop owner stepped into the room in which Erik had looked for the book to no avail.

Hesitantly Erik followed him. Somehow he was curious. And if he really owned the book which Erik was looking for, it would save himself from having to walk to another book shop and therefore another possible crazy shop owner.

When Erik entered the room, he saw that the professor was walking to a shelf straightaway, tracing over some books with his forefinger and pulling out a brown leather-bound book.

“Ah, there it is.” He said and turned around to face Erik. There was a friendly smile on his face which actually made him seem a little bit normal.

“Thanks.” Erik reluctantly said and then followed the Professor back to the counter where he pressed some buttons on the also antique seeming cash register until it opened and printed a receipt.

Erik was impressed that he the writing on the receipt was actually readable. Which was probably one of the reasons why the shop owner hadn’t replaced it.

“My name is Charles, by the way.” The Prof – _Charles_ suddenly said as he was handing Erik the book which he had put into a paper bag after Erik had given him the money. Again it eerily seemed like Charles had read his mind and had refused to still be called Professor and shop owner in it.

“Okay.” Erik replied, not wanting to introduce himself. Before Charles could say or do another thing to keep Erik in the shop, Erik turned around and left. Upon leaving he could hear Charles shouting something like “I would love for you to come by again.” which Erik promptly ignored. He had definitely lived out his social side too much today and was very much looking forward to being back in his apartment to be absolutely _alone_.

Arriving there he dropped down on the sofa and ordered a bite to eat from the Chinese restaurant not too far away. While waiting for the food to arrive he couldn’t help but think back to what had happened.

In hindsight he had to admit that Charles had been quite attractive, hadn’t there been the absolute horrendous cardigan and his general craziness that had scared Erik off.

The sudden ringing of the bell and Erik taking his food let him forget his previous thoughts.

 

-

 

When Emma took the present off Erik and thanked him for it while tearing off the wrapping paper, Erik was glad that Charles had practically forced the book upon him.

What he hadn’t anticipated though that was the small piece of paper that fluttered onto the ground when Emma opened the book. The note had clearly not been meant for Emma when she read it and gave it to Erik while laughing.

Erik could only stare at the small piece of paper on which Charles’ number and a small note were written down. And he couldn’t quite explain why he couldn’t get the too friendly shop owner out of his head for the rest of the evening or why he called him late at night after he’d come home from the party.

And what he definitely hadn’t anticipated was Charles’ sleepy voice which invited him for coffee the next day.

Erik decided to buy Emma a more expensive gift as a thank-you next year.


End file.
